Mechanical Technology

Mechanical Technology — April 2016

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Power transmission, bearings, bushes and seals

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KF South Africa, the bearing

and rotating technology and

engineering solutions special-

ist, once again provided an

optimum solution for a key customer by

joining forces with one of its authorised

distributors, Citi Bearings Vereeniging.

The customer, a market leader in

the South African steel industry, needed

a bearing heater capable of heating

couplings and approached Citi Bearings

Vereeniging for a solution. “Our autho-

rised distributor recommended the SKF

TIH 220m large induction heater and

demonstrated a new unit at the cus-

tomer’s site,” explains Eddie Martens,

SKF product manager, MaPro.

Recognising the induction heater’s

impressive capabilities that will meet

all the necessary requirements, the cus-

tomer ordered the unit from Citi Bearings

Vereeniging.

In addition to meeting the customer’s

specific application needs, the TIH 220m

was also found to be suitable for two of

the company’s other sections’ require-

ments. The customer also reported that

the induction heater has almost halved

Induction heater

for couplings

SKF solutions

extend fan and blower MTBF

ir handling equipment operates under

challenging conditions with factors

such as heat, dust, corrosive vapours

and wash-down exposure all shortening

fan and blower life. Premature bearing

failure can result from lubrication loss or

contamination; shaft misalignment; or ex-

cess vibration – and any failure will cause

unscheduled downtime, production losses,

and/or costly emergency repairs. Making

matters worse, accessing installed onsite

equipment is usually difficult and can also

be dangerous.

SKF’s comprehensive, cost-effective fan

and blower solutions, which include bear-

ings and seals, lubrication, alignment and

reliability solutions, all reduce the chance

of premature failure. SKF specialised bear-

ings and seals tolerate harsh operating

conditions while SKF lubrication systems,

and shaft/belt alignment tools contribute to

improve the service life of fans. Condition

monitoring services and equipment to

identify failures before they become cata-

strophic are also available.

Bearing and seal solutions include: Ball

and roller bearing mounted units, SKF

concentra bearing units, CARB

bearings,

SKF Explorer bearings, fan wheel hub

bushings, split housing units, contact seals

and flinger seals, and labyrinth seals.

On the lubrication side, solutions in-

clude: specialised SKF lubricants, SKF

multipoint lubricators, and SYSTEM 24

with 24/7 automatic lubricators.

Laser shaft alignment tools as well as

laser belt alignment tools are also available,

while reliability solutions such portable data

collectors, on-line data collection systems,

failure analysis software as well as machine

balancing are also on offer.

As drop-in replacements or part of an

integrated maintenance system, SKF fan

and blower solutions extend Mean Time

Between Failures (MTBF), reduce un-

planned downtime, reduce maintenance

and repair costs, enhance plant safety, and

increase productivity.

The SKF TIH 220m induction

heater is suited for heating bearings

and solid components up to a maxi-

mum weight of 300 kg and 150 kg,

respectively.

the heating time of the couplings

from 150 minutes to only 45

minutes, which translates into

significant downtime and cost

savings.

The TIH 220m is part

of SKF’s comprehensive,

reliable and robust range of

induction heaters that are

suitable for most bearing

heating applications.

The unit is suited

for heating bear-

ings and solid

components

up to a maxi-

mum weight

of 300 kg and

150 kg, respectively.“The heater is ca-

pable of heating a 220 kg bearing in just

20 minutes,” adds Martens.

The induction heater’s power elec-

tronics systems feature an advanced

design that includes current and over-

heating control. The standard unit is

supplied with two yokes allowing bear-

ings with bore diameters from 60 mm to

600 mm to be accommodated.

The heater also boasts a number of

features that make the unit user-friendly,

easy and safe to operate. The sliding or

swivel arm allows for easy and quick

replacement of bearings with a large

yoke. In addition to maximising uptime,

operator fatigue is also reduced. An SKF

remote control complete with operating

display and control panel further adds

to the units easy and safe operation.

Comprehensive and cost-effective fan and blower solutions from SKF can extend equipment MTBF,

reducing downtime and associated costs.